Sexual Health: Is it possible to get your period when you're pregnant?

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Is it possible to get your period when you're pregnant?

Technically, no. Normally, pregnancy prevents the drop in hormones that causes the uterine lining to slough off, explains Yvonne S. Thornton, an OB-GYN at St. Luke Roosevelt Hospital in New York City. "However, when you're pregnant, you can still experience spotting or light bleeding around the time you would normally expect your period, although it's not considered an actual period," she adds. Known as implantation bleeding, this is a harmless event that occurs when the fertilized egg first burrows into your uterus and breaks some of the blood vessels in its lining.

If there's a chance you could be pregnant and your period is irregular -- it's late, early, superlight, or unusually heavy -- take an OTC pregnancy test. See your doc for a full checkup if the results are positive.